Budgeting for Couples: Helping Your Spouse Stick to Your Budget

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room in relationships: budgets. People ignore talking about it. They either don’t want to create it or they don’t want to stick to the budget.

From our experience, one spouse creates a budget but the other spouse often doesn’t agree, especially if that person is a Spender. It’s difficult to get on the same page when you and your spouse view money differently. So what do you do when one partner can’t stick to the budget?

Can you resolve the conflicts that come up in the budgeting process? Yes! It starts with understanding each other’s Money Personalities.

Here are three tips to help you both get on the same page when it comes to your budget.

1.  Encourage their generosity.

Encourage the Spender in your relationship to get on board with the budget by identifying areas where their generosity can shine. Talk about and agree on the budget amount for these generosity areas. Note to Savers: you will have to give a little on the allocated amount.

2.  Get buy-in by getting their input.

If only one person in the relationship decides on the budget, there is no buy-in from the other person. Pick 3 or 4 line items that are hot spots in your budget. These are usually bigger amounts within the budget, e.g. groceries, gifts, vacations. Talk through how to compromise on each of these items. When you find that sweet spot between both of your monetary desires, you both win.

3.  Identify if you are dealing with an addiction.

Just like other addictions, there is such a thing as a spend-a-holic. In a 2006 Stanford University study the results concluded that compulsive overspending or over-shopping is a legitimate disorder that affects approximately 17 million of the U.S. population. And this addiction affects men as often as women. It’s important to know the difference between a Spender and a spend-a-holic.

Understanding your Money Personalities™ helps you and your spouse compromise on a livable budget. If you don’t know yours, click HERE to take our FREE scientific & confidential Money Personalities Assessment today. Then, pass the mouse to your spouse so they can take it as well. This basic knowledge will start you on the path to great money communication and lessening money fights.

Need more help? Check out our website HERE and feel free to send us a specific question as well.

What is a budget area where you need to work out a compromise, or how can you find ways to encourage generosity in the other person? Leave a comment below.

As always,

Taylor & Megan Kovar

The Money Couple